


Unexpected Encounter and Reunion

by HolliTheGay



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Autism, Based on a fic, Crying, Drabble, Hyrule Castle, I don't know much about the other games, I wrote this instead of doing my painting homework oops, I'm soft for ghiralink, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), M/M, Mentions of Sidon, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Muteness, Past Relationship(s), Reunions, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Sign Language, Sky (Linked Universe)-centric, he stims, i think, mentions of malon, mild sidlink, sky is autistic, very sky focused
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:41:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26713129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HolliTheGay/pseuds/HolliTheGay
Summary: it's the linked universe au and they have been traveling for a while, but it takes place after the events of "Encounters" by Midna149 (Omitting chapter 7 because sky needs to be alive lmao) instead of the canon events of skyward sword. They end up in Hyrule Warriors version of Hyrule and they come across Ghirahim...
Relationships: Ghirahim/Link (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 54





	Unexpected Encounter and Reunion

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Encounters](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4292679) by [Midna149](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midna149/pseuds/Midna149). 



> This fic is based on the fic "Encounters" by Midna149 and if you have not read that fic I highly recommend you go read it.

The group had been traveling together for a long while now, weeks, maybe months, had passed them by at this point. Many of the others had shared news of their loved ones and they’d even gotten to meet a few! Malon was lovely and seemed like a great wife, and everyone was still reeling at the thought of Wild being married to the prince of the Zora (did that make him a prince too?). However when Sky had been asked about his love, or caught thinking about his own Hero’s Journey, he lied and told them that he was in love with Zelda. And it wasn’t entirely false, he did love Zelda, just more as a cherished friend than a lover. 

When the other’s discussed their journeys, Sky felt like he shouldn’t even be sitting among them. They were all so heroic, they actually fought their demons not to mention they won. So sky didn’t talk much about his journey, brushing them off with a comment of “I don’t want to think about it right now.” or “I’ll tell you later.” but he never did. Sky felt kind of pathetic… Sure he’d fought monsters and yeah you could say he saved Skyloft, but it wasn’t that simple. He hadn’t fought his greatest foe, he never even encountered the great evil he was meant to fight head on, and he certainly did not encounter this “Ganon” everyone spoke of. No, Sky had loved and he had lost and he had sulked, all the while Zelda tried to make him feel a little less like shit. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was here, striding next to other versions of himself, reincarnations or descendants he didn’t really know, but they were supposed to be just like him… and yet they were nothing like him at all.

Entering through another portal, nothing looked familiar, as per usual to Sky, but Warriors seemed to light up at the sight. He beamed out at the shambles of keeps and the under construction Hyrule castle with a “This is my Hyrule!” and explained the situation. The war has been long, apparently years long, and it had destroyed quite a bit of the land, but they were slowly starting to rebuild, The Castle being the main focus at the moment. They seemed to have just finished castle town so that Hyrule’s citizen’s could settle back down. Some of the enemy forces had turned a new leaf and decided to settle down, though guards kept close eyes on them to be sure they weren’t plotting anything. Other’s had fled elsewhere, swearing revenge or going silent entirely, and some decided to return to their own times. Twi seemed to bristle at the mention of Zant, but was reassured that he was no longer here and was assumed to have gone back to his own time. Warriors had neglected to mention a certain demon lord, mainly because he had no idea of his whereabouts. He knew vaguely that the demon was from Sky’s dimension, but Sky himself never brought him up and seemed hesitant to talk about his past; Warriors didn’t want to alarm him so he thought it best not to mention him at all. 

The group made their way down to castle town, everyone seemed excited to be in a place where supplies, food, and shelter were readily available, and they all seemed to want to know more about the war. Warriors didn’t really want to tell them that the whole thing was basically caused by some dimensional witch who thought he was hot. Walking through the market, Sky partook in some of the food stalls, contemplating whether or not to purchase the ingredients for pumpkin soup (and begging Wild to make it for him). Deciding it was a good idea, the man bought the ingredients, lugging the pumpkin in his arms when he saw something that made his breath catch in his throat. That distinct red cloak and pale white hair. 

Could it really be him? There was no way it was him… but if multiple versions of Link existed, maybe he had been reborn too. Or maybe he hadn’t really died at all… could he have survived and fled to a new world? It certainly looked like the same man he’s known. Warriors was about to call for him to hurry up when he noticed Sky's face, contorted in shock and what seemed to be anxiety at the time. He followed Sky’s gaze and gasped, reaching for his sword and yelling for the others to get behind him. Sky tensed at the shout, but his eyes flicked from Ghirahim to the sword being pulled from Warrior’s hilt and he felt the color drain from his face. 

_ No no no no no this couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t watch him die again. He didn’t want to see it again, to hear it again. He had to stop him! _

With all the commotion, the demon lord finally looked up to be met with a strange sight. All of the Links huddled behind one in particular, one he had fought and who had his sword drawn in the middle of the fucking market of all places. The war was over, he’d assumed he’d be safe just wandering the market for a bit. One link, however, caught his eye and he almost thought he was seeing things. His eyes locked with Sky’s and they both knew they recognized each other, that this wasn’t some dream or illusion or lookalike. And in that moment of distraction, Warriors took the opportunity to strike, but before he could, someone knocked him to the ground. 

Without a second thought, Sky lunged forward, shoving past Warriors and letting the pumpkin slip from his hands, smashing to pieces into the ground. In an instant he had his arms around the demon, pulling him into the tightest hug; if Ghirahim were human he was certain he’d have broken his ribs from the crushing force. Ghirahim returned the hug, though it was gentle and warm. The demon pressed his face into Sky’s hair and just held him there for a moment, taking in the scent and the feeling of the boy he hadn’t seen in centuries.    
  


_ “Skychild.” _

Warriors, as well as the rest of the group, were at a loss for words. No one else knew who this demon was, but Warriors had just told them that he was dangerous… and Sky was hugging him. It made no sense. Maybe Ghirahim had put a spell on him. The demon lord did use magic after all, so it was possible. At the thought, Warriors sprang back to his feet, sword readied as he approached. 

“Demon, release him!” he shouted, raising his sword to strike. Sky tensed up at the voice and Ghirahim glared at Warriors, as if the mere thought offended him to his very core. His sword only flattered when Sky pulled back a bit and he saw tears in his eyes. Sky was crying? Scratch that, Sky was practically sobbing, clutching onto Ghirahim’s cloak as if his life depended on it. He glanced back at Warriors, well more at his sword, and tugged Ghirahim closer, shaking his head as more tears fell from his eyes…

...And Warriors let his sword fall, sheathing it back in it’s hilt. Ghirahim pulled Sky back into a hug and wiped some of the tears from his face, revealing the softest expression he’s ever seen from the demon lord, his features laced with worry as he fawned over the boy in his arms. 

After Sky had calmed down a bit, there was some hushed conversation between the three, all the while the rest of the group just kind of stared at them, not sure what was going on. They agreed it would be best to go some place a bit quieter and get away from the strangers staring them down in the streets of the market; Ghirahim mentioned having a home outside of Hyrule, but Warriors declined, still not trusting the demon. They agreed to going to the castle as that was where they were headed anyway since Link had his own quarters in the castle, a gift from Zelda after the war. It was a small separate wing off the castle and it was mostly finished with construction save for a few furnishings here and there so it seemed a pretty good place to settle for the evening.

Zelda was a little taken aback by how many Link’s were entering the castle, but with some quick explaining and introductions, she saw no issue with housing them for a while, despite Impa feeling otherwise. They both, however, met Ghirahim with hard eyes and a resounding “No.” and Warriors saw Sky  _ wilt _ . He was still clinging to the demon like a wounded puppy and it tugged at his heartstrings to see him like this so he pleaded with the princess, reassuring her that with this many Hero’s in the castle, Ghirahim could cause no harm, though Warriors wasn’t sure he really believed himself when he said that. Zelda hesitantly agreed and allowed them to be on their way; from down the hall they could hear the argument erupting between the princess and her guard. 

Finally settling in somewhere quiet, all eyes were on Sky and the demon lord. The two had taken a seat on the floor in the corner, Sky nestled up against the other, scrunched up and trying to appear smaller. The rest of the group found their own seats, some in chairs, some on the bed, and some on the floor, but they all kept a considerable distance from the two. 

“Sky, what the fuck is going on?” Warriors asked hesitantly. It came out a little too harsh and he instantly regretted it, seeing the way the boy flinched away, his grip on Ghirahim’s hand tightening. Said demon fixed Warriors with another glare. 

“Don’t you dare speak to him that way.” Ghirahim growled, the arm around Sky pulled him closer, protectively. 

“Sorry, but last I checked you were an enemy, so I’m more than a little confused. I’d like to hear from Sky,  _ Demon _ .” Warriors fired back, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Sky sat up straighter and took a deep breath, still anxious about all of this. He tried to form words, to explain himself, but all that managed to come out was a choked noise. Sky could speak, he’s actually gotten more comfortable with speech since traveling with the group, but at times like these, when everything was overwhelming and his anxiety bubbled back up, his words failed him and he reverted back to sign. With a frustrated noise he pulled his hand from Ghirahims and did his best to communicate in the only way he could right now. 

_ [I’m sorry.]  _ He signed hesitantly. He looked ashamed and embarrassed.  _ [Speaking is difficult sometimes.]  _

Warriors face scrunched up in confusion and he looked to the others for help. He didn’t know sign language. Luckily, Wild and Time both did. Neither of them had been using it while traveling with the group either, but they looked at Sky with the most understanding smiles, relieved they were not alone. Wild encouraged him to continue while Time quietly translated for the group. Sky felt both relieved that some of them understood and ashamed that had to be translated like this. 

_ [This is Ghirahim.]  _ Sky started, fingerspelling the name and pointing to the demon next to him.  _ [We were…]  _ he paused, looking at Ghirahim, unsure of what to call their relationship. It was complicated. They weren’t dating, but they were in love.  _ [close.]  _ it was what he settled on, though from the look on his face it was evident that that was not the right word. 

“But Ghirahim is evil. He’s a demon. He fought at Ganon’s side!” Warriors butted in, again, Sky flinched away, that same frustrated noise bubbling back out. 

_ [I know!]  _ He signed quickly, anxiously. His hands shook as he continued.  _ [We were supposed to fight, but he never hurt me. We never fought.]  _ Sky clenched his fists, shaking his head.  _ [He never fought. I…]  _ his tears were starting to surface again, breaths becoming shaky. Ghirahim stroked a hand through his hair, reminding him he was there and he was safe.  _ [I killed him.]  _ he finished quickly before falling back into Ghirahim’s embrace, knees pulled to his chest. Blunt fingers scratched at his skin anxiously. 

The room was quiet as they processed what little they had been given to work with from Sky’s story. Warriors still didn’t know what to think of the situation, but it was clear Sky wasn’t going to give them much more information. The boy reached up and seemed to mumble something to the demon lord who nodded in agreement, continuing to run a soothing hand through his hair. 

“He’s asked me to continue, if that is alright. He’s a bit overwhelmed at the moment.” Ghirahim spoke, an awkward smile quirked on his lips. Warriors seemed irritated at the idea, but agreed nonetheless. “Skychild- Link and I have a… complicated relationship. At first I was just toying with him because it was fun to get him worked up. Eventually it seems we both caught feelings for each other. But we were destined to be enemies… the red string of fate can be cruel sometimes. In the end we made a compromise. I let the spirit maiden go free and surrendered… I couldn’t bare to fight him, I didn’t care about raising my master anymore… But I couldn’t stay either. I was destined to be slain at Link’s hand. So I asked him to and he did. I died that day.” 

Warriors shook his head in confusion. “Then how are you here? If you died, shouldn’t you still be dead?” He scoffed. Ghirahim hummed in consideration. 

“I suppose when your Ganondorf summoned me, I was sort of… resurrected in a way. I must admit that when I first saw you on the battlefield I was taken aback. I quickly realized, however, that you were not  _ my  _ Skychild. I’d long since accepted that he was long gone. Seeing him today… I’m more than thankful to have been resurrected now.” He smiled down at the blond in his arms, Sky seeming to press himself even closer if that were possible. “The war is over. I’m done serving Ganon. I’m not here to hurt anyone.” He reassured the others, staring directly at Warriors. 

The others seemed satisfied with the story, happy that Sky was able to see his love again, but Warriors was still on edge. He didn’t want to take the demon’s word for it, but Sky seemed to be happy to see him again and that only made him feel even worse. He huffed and decided to drop it, leaving them be for the time being. The rest of the evening was quiet, Wild got to use a real kitchen for the first time in a while and he knew just what he was going to make. 

“Hey, Sky.” Wild approached, two steaming bowls in hand. Sky looked up in surprise, unfurling from his position in Ghirahim’s embrace. “I made something special for you.” he winked, squatting down next to them and handing each of them a piping hot bowl of pumpkin soup. Sky’s face lit up at the food and he beamed up at Wild excitedly. “I saw you drop that pumpkin earlier so I assumed you wanted me to make it anyway.” Wild laughed a little. 

_ [Thank you!] _ Sky signed, bouncing a little from happiness. He settled back against the wall and began to eat, Ghirahim smiling down at him.  _ It was nice to see him smile again _ . Wild went to serving soup to the rest of the group, leaving the two alone again. It was Ghirahim’s first time having pumpkin soup, but based on the way Sky practically chugged his, he was more than happy to try some. He hadn’t expected it to be quite so good! 

“Skychild, your friend there is an excellent cook!” Ghirahim mused, slurping down his bowl quickly as well. Sky nodded in agreement, smiling fondly at Wild.

Sleep came easily to everyone except for Warriors. The captain kept watch that night, despite not truly needing to. They were safe in his quarters. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that Ghirahim was dangerous, that he was using Sky or lying to him. But he watched on as the two exchanged a soft kiss and Sky promptly fell asleep against the Demon’s chest. He looked at peace with Ghirahim’s arms around him. What finally allowed Warriors to relax and really understand that the demon wasn’t here to hurt them was the moment he realized Ghirahim had also fallen asleep. Warriors knew that the demon lord did not need to sleep, but was snoring quietly, sky pulled close, body relaxed… and Warriors finally managed to sleep as well.

_ Maybe Ghirahim wasn’t so bad after all.  _


End file.
